Reference no: EM133308915

Tony, a 91- year-old veteran of World War II, has lived in a big city all of his life and has used Veterans Administration (VA) facilities for health care that are free under his VA coverage. He also has a small residence in another nearby state where he spends weekends. One weekend, while in this nearby state, Tony fell and cut his arm and hit his head. A neighbor applied a pressure dressing to his bleeding arm and then took him to a nearby emergency room. The ER started an IV and sutured the cut on his arm. The ER also administered an EKG, which detected a heart problem. Tony was then admitted to the hospital. When she returned home, the neighbor who had taken Tony to the hospital noticed that she had blood on her clothing.

When the neighbor visited Tony the next day in the hospital, she found that he was on isolation and all visitors had to wear gowns and masks. She asked the nurse why he was on isolation. The nurse asked for, and Tony gave, permission to discuss his situation with the neighbor The nurse then told the neighbor that Tony had tested positive for MRSA.

Did the nurse do anything wrong by telling the neighbor about Tony's condition since the patient gave his permission?

Should the ER nurse have cautioned the neighbor about the possibility of MRSA if she saw the blood on the neighbor's clothing?